We are usually content to highlight the accomplishments of others in our community, but I am incredibly proud of the people I work with this week, and want to tell a little bit about how hard they work to bring you the high-quality news and information packaged in a way that you can’t find anywhere else.

For about 50 years, one man has had the courage and determination to make it all possible, our publisher and Clipper owner Gail Stahle. He started in the newspaper business when his father John Stahle, Jr. owned the Clipper, then headed to St. George, where he purchased the St. George Spectrum and turned it into a thriving daily paper. He moved back to northern Utah and by 1989, was in talks to purchase the Clipper.

The Bountiful community has long-been thankful for Gail Stahle’s dedication, and last week the printing industry’s Utah Press Association recognized him as a Master Editor and Publisher at its annual conference.

In addition to the Clipper, Gail Stahle owns Iron County Today in Cedar City and the bi-weekly Utah Islander, which is distributed in northern Davis County.

In my interactions with Mr. Stahle, I have learned that for him, newspapers are more than just a money-maker, and sometimes, they aren’t even that. Instead, our publisher wants the Clipper to engage the community and to rid our readers of all-too-common apathy while providing local news and entertainment.

Fortunately, we have a dedicated staff standing with us. Our reporters work all hours of the day with nary a complaint, and are eager to jump in on everything from photography to newspaper design in addition to covering their regular beats. Without their efforts, the people of Davis County wouldn’t know nearly as much about drug testing in local high schools, the good work being done at Bountiful Food Pantry and the Children’s Justice Center, the excellent community theater shows at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre and much more.

Without the efforts of our sports department, most people would know very little about the spate of recent accomplishments by local prep sports teams.

I am thankful to be part of such a team, and I strongly believe that this community is more engaged and is better off because of Clipper staffers.

Awards aren’t everything in the news business, but they are acknowledgement from our peers that what we do matters and that it meets a high level of professionalism. Also last week at the Utah Press Association Conference, the Clipper won 11 awards for its 2012 coverage.

Reporter and photographer Louise Shaw and the Clipper advertising department dominated the awards for the paper. Shaw’s Summerfest photo page took honors, as did a news photo, feature photo and a column she penned.

Our arts team, which does everything from page design to advertisements to web updates, also got top recognition. They earned first place for an ad that promoted the Clipper plus four others, and the recognition is nothing less than overdue.

Finally, all our staffers deserve recognition for our efforts on the web at davisclipper.com. We have not only doubled online readership since July, we also took home a third-place prize for the site. There, you will find regular updates and have the opportunity to leave comments about our stories or send letters to the editor. You can also search for stories from the recent past and can download, for free, each edition of the Davis Wellness magazine and all our special sections.

While I’m expressing thanks, I would be remiss no to mention our advertisers and loyal subscribers. Without them, we wouldn’t even have the chance to engage and entertain the community, and we are forever thankful that they trust us with documenting the happenings of Davis County. Here’s to 2013!